Israel cuts power to West Bank cities over massive debt

The Israel Electric Corporation briefly cut power to the West Bank cities Jenin and Nablus on Monday over an unpaid debt of NIS 1.9 billion ($492 million).

The state-owned electric company said the 45 minute blackout served as a warning over the outstanding bills accrued by Palestinian utility companies that buy electricity from Israel and distribute it to West Bank cities and towns.

In a statement, the company said it sent numerous warnings of the blackout and said it would cut power to both Palestinian cities for 45 minutes daily until the debt is settled. The IEC also said it repeatedly alerted Israeli officials over the inflating debt and the urgent need to arrange payment with the Palestinian companies, but no agreement was ever reached.

Mayors of Nablus and Jenin said the blackout was politically motivated and called it a form of “collective punishment.”

The majority of the the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip depend on electricity supplied by the IEC.

In January, Israel froze the transfer of approximately half a billion shekels in tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority after it attempted to gain official recognition by international bodies, including United Nations and the International Criminal Court.

Palestinian officials warned that if Israel does not transfer the frozen funds, the Palestinian Authority would terminate its security cooperation with Israel.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the Palestinian Authority could collapse without a cash injection, resulting in an escalation in violence.